@atipofthehat Actually, we are talking about this place! Which is, more accurately, Lincoln's Waffle Shop. It is on the same block as Ford's Theatre and the Petersen House, and was, once upon a time, a gloriously greasy little spoon. Now it is still greasy, but its new location is much bigger. Seriously, if you ever visit DC, though, go here!

@frigwiggin Well, everyone (except John Wilkes Booth, natch) was on a super high because the war had literally ended less than a week before, plus Lincoln was pretty well known for attending plays in DC, and could have chosen another one, but he came to this one, so the actors were stoked. Plus, they had been expecting General Grant - man of the hour, as everyone kind of saw it then - and his wife Julia to come with the Lincolns, so this was a big deal. Except Julia Grant didn't like Mary Todd Lincoln one little bit and was all "Pfft, Ulysses, let's go visit our kids in New Jersey instead," so that's how Major Rathbone and his ladyfriend Clara Harris wound up in the presidential box. Oh, and about 15 years later, he stabbed Clara to death and then tried to kill himself because he felt so guilty about not stopping the assassination.

Why no, I haven't read extensively or anything about the assassination. :P

@ajayne If you're interested in learning more about Edwin Booth - and his brother John Wilkes - I totally recommend My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry That Led to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln by Nora Titone. Their dad Junius Brutus Booth was equally as awesome and fascinating and weird and talented as his son Edwin! And the book is excellent. I learned so much about how ridiculously difficult acting was in those days, what with the dangers of travel.